May you be happy, well, and peaceful.

Reading for May 9

Bodhidharma tore off his eyelids. Jack Kornfield’s teacher told him to meditate at the edge of a well. The Buddhist tradition is full of stories of practitioners who have found unique techniques for stimulating and maintaining their practice. In fact, anyone who has sat on a zafu more than once probably came up with a trick or two for staying there. To tap into this resource, we’ve asked seasoned Buddhist teachers and longtime practitioners to share their favorite meditating tools. Check out what they have to offer.

Just get in the posture “Try making a commitment to getting into the meditation posture at least once a day. You don’t have to sit for any particular length of time, just get on the cushion. A lot of times, the hardest part is getting there. Once you’re sitting down, you think, ‘I might as well sit for a few minutes,’ and more often than not, you’re getting full sessions in.” -Insight Meditation Society co-founder Joseph Goldstein

Use a timer “When you sit in meditation, use a timer instead of a clock. If you have to keep opening your eyes to check on the time, restlessness can be exacerbated. By using a timer, one frees oneself from the concept of time and discovers a deepening of relaxation and a sense of the timeless.” -Cambridge Insight Meditation teacher Narayan Liebenson Grady

Get your priorities straight “If meditation is a priority, then it’s helpful to take that word literally and put meditation first. An example would be my rule of not turning on the computer before I’ve meditated. Simple, but effective. Probably the most trenchant advice I ever heard was in eight words from Suzuki Roshi: ‘Organize your life so you can sit well.'” -Senior Shambhala teacher David Schneider

Be patient “When you plant seeds in the garden, you don’t dig them up every day to see if they have sprouted yet. You simply water them and clear away the weeds; you know that the seeds will grow in time. Similarly, just do your daily practice and cultivate a kind heart. Abandon impatience and instead be content creating the causes for goodness; the results will come when they’re ready.” -Tibetan Buddhist nun and author Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron

Make a vow “Don’t give yourself a choice. Don’t ask yourself: ‘Do I want to get up and do this?’ because you will think of a million other things to do. Just set your alarm and get up and meditate-no questions. It also helps to make a vow. Try promising the Buddhas that you’ll meditate every day for a month and see what happens.” -Tibetan Buddhist nun and author Ani Tenzin Palmo

Make the right decision “Every practitioner I know who has been able to continue to practice for years has had to deal with their resistance to sitting. It seems that when we hurl ourselves in a particular direction with vigor and intention, we are also creating a shadow of resistance at the same time. This matter is resolved over time by the decisions we make in the immediate situation: do we watch TV or sit? Do we schedule a date with a friend during our usual sitting time? Do we skip our sangha night when our parents visit or do we ask them to join us (or excuse us)? Deciding to sit over and over again through every possible seduction establishes the vigor of our intention.” -Russian River Zendo teacher Darlene Cohen

Drink coffee “Some people say that it was actually Buddhist monks who discovered coffee. The story goes that they were wandering around in the forest somewhere when they came across the beans. They started chewing them and thought, ‘These are great. We can use this energy for our meditation practice.’ If you are going to get up in the morning and sit, it doesn’t have to be first thing. Get up and have a cup of coffee if it helps. It’s when you start taking out the newspaper and doing other stuff that you lose the freshness of mind you have when you first wake up. But if you can have coffee without turning on your cell phone, go for it.” -Downtown Meditation Community teacher Peter Doobinin

End carefully “When you end your meditation, be very careful with how you open your eyes. Try to maintain your center inside rather than letting it flow outside. Then, maintaining your center, get up from the cushion and keep the center inside as long as you can. As my teacher Ajaan Fuang instructed: ‘When you start out sitting in meditation, it takes a long time for the mind to settle down, but as soon as the session is over you get right up and throw it away. It’s like climbing a ladder slowly, step by step, to the second floor, and then jumping out the window.'” -Metta Forest Monastery Abbot Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Welcome

This is the official blog of One Dharma Nashville. We offer weekly meditation on Mondays, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Healing Well Yoga and Meditation, 3808 Park Avenue. This is our main practice night and a good opportunity to learn about the teachings and practical application of practice. We also offer a LGBT meditation and discussion group the first Thursday at each month, along with special classes and workshops as announced. Our Introduction to Meditation meets at Vanderbilt Center for Integrative Health on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month, 10:30 to Noon. The center is at 3401 West End Ave #380. Enter through the garage behind the building on Orleans. Walk through the glass door at the garage entry level (3rd floor). Turn left and follow the hallway to Vanderbilt Integrative Health, Suite 380. Stay left around the front desk to the first open room on your left. Newcomers are welcome at all events. We encourage you to arrive 15 minutes early for orientation.